Phandelver: Goblin Arrows
The adventure begins as the player characters are escorting a wagon full ofprovisions and supplies from Neverwinter to Phandalin. The journey takes them south along the High Road to the Triboar Trail, which heads east (as shown on the overland map).When they're a half-day's march from Phandalin, they run into trouble with goblin raiders from the Cragmaw tribe. Read the boxed text when you're ready to start. Ifyou create a different adventure hook, skip to the second paragraph and adjust the details as necessary, ignoring the information about driving the wagon. In the city of Neverwinter, a dwarf named Gundren Rockseeker asked you to bring a wagon load of provisions to the rough-and-tumble settlement of Phandalin, a couple of days' travel southeast of the city. Gundren was clearly excited and more than a little secretive about his reasons for the trip, saying only that he and his brothers had found "something big," and that he'd pay you ten gold pieces each for escorting his supplies safely to Barthen's Provisions, a trading post in Phandalin. He then set out ahead of you on horse, along with a warrior escort named Sildar Haliwinter, claiming he needed to arrive early to "take care of business." You've spent the last few days following the High Road south from Neverwinter, and you've just recently veered east along the Triboar Trail. You've encountered no trouble so far, but this territory can be dangerous. Bandits and outlaws have been known to lurk along the trail. Before continuing with the adventure, take a fewminutes to do the following: • Encourage the players to introduce their characters to each other ifthey haven't done so already. Ask the players to think about how their characters came to know their dwarf patron, Gundren Rockseeker. Let the players concoct their own stories. Ifa player is hard-pressed to think ofanything, suggest something simple. For example, Gundren could be a childhood friend or someone who helped the player's character get out ofa tough scrape. This exercise is a great opportunity for the players to contribute to the adventure's backstory. • Ask the players to giveyou the party's marching order and how their characters are traveling. Who's in front, and who's bringing up the rear? Ifthe characters are escorting Gundren's wagonload ofsupplies, then one or two characters need to be driving the wagon. The rest ofthe characters can be riding on the wagon, walking alongside, or scouting ahead, as they like. Driving The Wagon Any character can drive a wagon, and no particular skill is necessary. Two oxen pull the wagon. If no one is holding the reins, the oxen stop where they are. The wagon is packed full of an assortment of mining supplies and food. This includes a dozen sacks of flour, several casks of salted pork, two kegs of strong ale, shovels, picks, and crowbars (about a dozen each), and five lanterns with a small barrel of oil (about fifty flasks in volume).The total value of the cargo is 100 gp. When you're ready, continue with the "Goblin Ambush" section.